Hair clippers

Abstract

A hair clipper, particularly for incorporation in a battery powered electric dry shaver, comprising first and second mutually slidingly reciprocable and inherently slightly resilient toothed cutters resiliently urged to assume a similar curvature to one another along the direction of reciprocation to tend to render uniform the pressure distribution therebetween.

I claim: 
     
       1. A hair clipper comprising first and second elongate toothed cutters, said first cutter being adapted to be driven in sliding reciprocation, means for driving said cutters in mutual sliding longitudinal reciprocation to effect a hair clipping operation, both said cutters being inherently slightly resilient along their length, means for locating said second cutter in position longitudinally and laterally while permitting said second cutter to curve resiliently to assume a similar curvature to said first cutter, resilient means and reaction means, said resilient means acting on the first cutter to urge the first cutter against the second cutter, said reaction means acting on the second cutter to oppose the force due to said resilient means, said clipper having a body member provided with a bore, said locating means includes at least one piston, said piston working in said bore, and means urging said piston into engagement with said second cutter to act thereon away from said first cutter and against said reaction means, said resilient means and said reaction means providing a force couple that imparts a similar curvature to both said cutters along the direction of reciprocation, whereby to tend to render uniform the pressure distribution between the two urged together cutters. 
     
     
       2. A hair clipper according to claim 1 wherein said first cutter is provided with a slot extending lengthwise of said first cutter, and wherein said piston passes through said slot, whereby said piston also serves to locate the first cutter laterally and to guide the first cutter in its longitudinal reciprocation. 
     
     
       3. A hair clipper according to claim 1 wherein said reaction structure comprises a pair of pins, said pins disposed near opposite ends of the second cutter, said pins also serving as said locating means to locate the second cutter in position longitudinally and laterally, and said pins further serving to locate the first cutter laterally and to guide it in its longitudinal reciprocation. 
     
     
       4. A hair clipper according to claim 1 wherein the total force between said cutters is substantially 300 grams. 
     
     
       5. A hair clipper according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises at least one spring, said at least one spring acting on the first cutter intermediate the ends of said first cutter, and wherein the reaction means includes substantially non-resilient reaction structure acting on each end portion of the second cutter. 
     
     
       6. A hair clipper according to claim 5 including at least two said springs acting in substantially the same direction and spaced apart from one another, said reaction means acting in substantially the opposite direction, whereby said curvature is in one sense from end to end of the cutters.